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Tom Reed,who previously covered the Blue Jackets for The Dispatch, is back after a five-year absence while working for the newspaper in that city up north: Cleveland. Follow him on Twitter at @treed1919

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Forecast: No. 11 Matt Calvert

Posted Aug 20, 2014
by Aaron Portzline

NHL training camps open on Sept. 18, less than one month away. As a ramp-up to the real stuff, we'll spend the next month taking a daily look - a re-appraisal, if you will - of each NHL-level player in the Blue Jackets' organization, a guy you can expect to wear the sweater at some point this season.

We're going by sweater number, so No. 3 on the list is ...

NO. 11 MATT CALVERT

Age: 24

Role: Left or right wing, on just about any line

Signed through: 2014-15 (then an unrestricted free agent)

Salary cap: $987,500

Rear view mirror: A look back on Calvert's season must begin with March 21, the night he physically confronted former Jackets captain Rick Nash and helped turn Nash's return with the New York Rangers in the theater of the surreal. Calvert said he was sticking up for goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, who had clashed with Nash earlier in the game. It was a defining moment for the franchise, a "Rick Nash Doesn't Play Here Anymore" statement that needed to be delivered -- both to Nash and the denizens of Nationwide Arena. ... Calvert had nine goals, 15 assists and 24 points in 56 games. ... The assists and points are career highs. ... Calvert spent a lot of time on the left side of a line with center Brandon Dubinsky and right wing Cam Atkinson. ... He missed 26 games with two significant injuries -- an abdominal tear that required surgery in October, and a sprained shoulder in late December. ... Calvert was very good in the Stanley Cup playoffs, putting up 2-2-4 in six games and playing the third-most minutes (17:35) among Blue Jackets forwards. ... One other big Calvert moment from 2013-14: his Game 2 game-winner in Pittsburgh to draw the series 1-1.

What's ahead: If Calvert can put together a full, healthy season, he could really surprise around the NHL. When the Blue Jackets' youth is trumpeted, it is Ryan Johansen, Boone Jenner, Ryan Murray whose names are blared. Fair enough. But Calvert is only 24, and he has the ability to impact games with his speed and forechecking. ... It's hard to say exactly where Calvert fits in this lineup, but don't take that to mean he isn't a highly-valued member of this club. When he is healthy and thriving, Calvert's speed -- his rare acceleration -- brings a level of energy that delights coach Todd Richards When he's out of the lineup, he is missed. ... The natural fit would seem to be on the third line, perhaps with Dubinsky or Artem Anisimov in the middle and Nick Foligno or Cam Atkinson. But this appears far from settled and will likely remain so throughout the season. Richards uses Calvert to "goose" other lines if the energy level lags. He could easily play on all four lines this season. ... Calvert was not himself after returning from abdominal surgery. The zip was missing from his game. It seemed to gradually return, which is probably to be expected following such a surgery. He has yet to see a full, healthy season in the NHL. ... Depending upon how high he plays in the lineup, Calvert certainly has 15-18 goal ability. ... After reconstructing the fourth line in their off-season moves -- Derek MacKenzie, Blake Comeau and Jack Skille are gone -- the Blue Jackets will have openings on the penalty kill. Calvert has always been part of that unit, but could see a bigger role this season. With those wheels, it's hard to believe he has only one short-handed goal in his 153-game career. ... Remember Calvert's rookie season, how he scored 11 goals in 42 games after his second-half call-up from Springfield? He had a 22 percent shooting percentage that season (11 goals, 50 shots on goal). Since then, he's scored at almost half that rate: 11.5 percent (18 goals, 157 shots on goal). The prediction here is that he'll land somewhere between those two figures.

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